This past weekend the Saints kicked off the final leg of their six game homestand with a Friday night matchup versus Quinnipiac University and a Saturday afternoon appearance versus Montclair State University.
Friday was the team’s annual Pink At The Rink game. The Pink at the Rink game is hosted each year by Siena Men’s Ice Hockey in collaboration with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help raise awareness for breast cancer research and to show support for anyone affected by breast cancer. The Saints’ Pink at the Rink game offers a unique experience for fans and family members to support the team and ACS through shirt sales, raffle sales, and an honorary puck drop. This year with YOUR help the Saints were able to raise over twelve hundred dollars for the American Cancer Society! The Saints will also volunteer their time next Sunday at the annual Making Strides of Albany event to help do their part in supporting breast cancer awareness.
Pink jerseys or not, the Saints had an important game against a new opponent. With the separation of the AAU conference Quinnipiac is just one of many teams to transfer from AAU to ACHA Division 2 for the 2025-26 season. The Saints would come out on fire getting early markers from Senior forward TJ Pierce and Freshman forward Will Pipher, giving them a 2-1 lead heading into the second. Quinnipiac would fight back scoring the next two goals to open up the second period, giving Quinnipiac a 3-2 lead, but you can never count this Saints out. Freshman Dominick Oppedisano and Senior Alex Stone would strike next giving the Saints a 4-3 lead heading into the third. From here on out was pure Saints dominance. Pipher would net his second of the game, and Freshman Dom Waters would net his first career ACHA goal to give Siena a 6-3 lead. The lead would hold until the end of the game, Saints win 6-3 and improve to 4-1-0 on the season. Senior goaltender Matthew McCarthy earned the win with 29 saves and Will Pipher took home the Player Of The Game.
Siena couldn’t celebrate for long as puck drop followed the next day at 4:30 versus Montclair State University. This game marked the first SECHL conference matchup of the year for the Saints. Siena would carry over the momentum from the night before as Senior forward Anthony Zappala and Freshman forward Dominick Oppedisano would both score, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead after the first period. In the second Montclair would show life with a breakaway goal from Braden Ryan but Senior forward Nate Scarinicio would get his first of the year keeping the Saints lead at two goals after two periods. Montclair would add a goal courtesy of the powerplay late in third period, but freshman forward Luke Kurdziolek would answer back with an empty net goal completing the Saints 4-2 win and improving their record to 5-1-0. McCarthy backstopped the Saints with 32 saves on 34 shots and Nate Scarincio earned the Player Of The Game.
Siena University will hit the road for the first time this season this upcoming weekend. The Saints will look to carry the fire versus Niagara University on Friday and St. Bonaventure University on Saturday.
Three Stars of the Weekend:
1st Star – Dominick Oppedisano
2GP – 2G – 1A
2nd Star – Will Pipher
2GP – 2G – 1A (1X POTG)
3rd Star – Dom Waters
2GP – 1G – 1A